J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

Finberg later annotated his generic 1909 Inventory entry (‘Sunset’, in a large grouping of ‘Miscellaneous: colour’ sheets): ‘Venice CFB’.1 The initials are those of the Turner scholar C.F. Bell, who marked his own copy ‘Venice’.2 The discovery of the exact subject was a gradual process. Even before the Inventory E.T. Cook had called it an ‘Italian Sketch’;3 Luke Herrmann was first to suggest Venice in print;4 then Andrew Wilton recognised the general aspect of the view, ‘Presumably looking from the Dogana towards the Campanile of St. Mark’s on the left, the Doge’s Palace centre, and S. Giorgio Maggiore at the extreme right’,5 although it continued to be known as a sunset view until Lindsay Stainton tentatively modified Wilton’s topographical description, describing it as ‘Looking eastwards towards the Campanile of St Mark’s: sunrise?’ ⁶

In fact, once compared with more conventional 1840 colour studies, the scope of this one becomes clear, ranging north-east to the campanile and south-east to the dome of San Giorgio, seemingly shrouded in mist across the Bacino at the far right.7 There are selective foreground details picked out in grey outline over the washes, including a dormer window or small penthouse, also shown in related views. This was likely on the roof of the Palazzo Vallaresso Erizzo (now the Hotel Monaco), immediately east of the Hotel Europa (Palazzo Giustinian), where Turner was staying, in a room apparently high up in its north-east corner; see the Introduction to this subsection. The campanile is seen through a window in Tate D32219 (Turner Bequest CCCXVII 34), and aspects of the vista are explored under a range of day and night effects (including moonlight, fireworks and a flash of lightning) in Tate D32142, D32173, D32179, D32224, D32229, D32254 and D35882 (Turner Bequest CCCXVI 5, 36, 42, CCCXVIII 5, 10, CCCXIX 6, CCCLXIV 43).8

Compare also the softer effect, likely also observed around dawn, in a laterally condensed view of the campanile and two others north and north-west of the Europa (Tate D32140; Turner Bequest CCCXVI 3).9

Leo Costello has described this work’s ‘searing colors’, in a discussion of ‘Turner’s sensual engagement with materiality’.10 Strong central sunrise and sunrise effects are among the most recognisable elements of the artist’s repertoire; for other examples see the grouping in the present author’s ‘Colour Studies of the Sun, Skies and Clouds c.1815–45’ section of the present catalogue.

Technical notes:

Lindsay Stainton has characterised the palette here as among Turner’s ‘most dramatic colour combinations: an intense violet, set off with lilac and pale yellow and touches of orange and scarlet’.1 Nicola Moorby has described him working ‘swiftly, dropping brushloads of liquid orange and red into the surrounding wet yellow wash (a technique known as charging)’.2

This is one of seven 1840 Venice works Ian Warrell has noted as on ‘sheets of white paper probably made [under the name] Charles Ansell.3 These measure approximately 19.8 x 28.4 cm (indicating that they were folded and torn into eight pieces from an imperial sheet)’:4 Tate D32140, D32165, D32179, D35882, D35949, D36192 (Turner Bequest CCCXVI 3, 28, 42, CCCLXIV 43, 106, 334); see also San Giorgio Maggiore from the Hotel Europa, at the Entrance to the Grand Canal (Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester).5 Warrell has noted that an ‘eighth sheet’, Tate D32166 (Turner Bequest CCCXVI 29), ‘seems to relate to this group, both technically and in terms of its size, but this has been identified by paper conservator Peter Bower as paper produced by Bally, Ellen and Steart’.6

Verso:

Blank, save for what may be a slight offset of violet-grey colour at the top right; stamped in black with Turner Bequest monogram over ‘CCCLXIV – 106’ bottom right.